Could you use some helpful tips for selling your home? Selling a house requires forethought and hard work. If you want to sell your house to a qualified buyer in the least amount of time, follow these tips to get your property in the best possible condition in order to catch a home shopper’s attention. To sell your home fast, get it ready for real estate marketing (unless you plan to sell it yourself) by catching up with repairs and adding all the cosmetic curb appeal that you can afford. Here are some quick self-help tips for selling your home:

1. Walk through and take inventory. Take a whole-house approach to get an overview of the property when you are ready to sell your house. Make a list of chores big and small that will have to be done before the house can be listed or shown. You can organize the list by room, tackling each one independently of the rest of the house. Or you can categorize the fix-up work by type of job, such as painting, window washing, etc., and list the rooms that require this type of work in that column. With an organized chore list, you can get supplies together and work faster to get things done.

2. Start with the big jobs. Tackle the large projects first. For example, if one of the closets needs a door, go to the lumberyard for wood to build one or buy a replacement door from a home repair supply store.

Depending on the amount of time and cash you can afford for fixing up the property, you may want to consider large jobs such as cleaning the shed, pruning trees, fixing a leaky roof, painting one or more rooms, reorganizing the garage, or finishing the attic to add more living space.

3. Don’t overlook the small tasks. When the sizable chores are completed, check your list for the less noticeable items that need to be updated, replaced, or repaired. These might include refinishing the cupboard doors, retiling a floor, fixing a broken step, replacing a cracked window or burned out light bulbs, and polishing the brass wall sconces. While these can be set aside as non-urgent, they are the kinds of things that, left untended, can contribute to a negative impression if there are many of them or when added to a few larger jobs that don’t get done.

4. Clean up the clutter. Involve all family members in making every room neat and tidy. This is one of the most important tips for selling your home that any real estate agent will tell you. A cluttered house looks small and unkempt. Removing clutter can create a spacious, airy feeling that most buyers are looking for. When you have a potential buyer coming through the house, put away extra shoes, potholders, dirty dishes, food items, laundry hampers, and children’s toys. Make sure the closets appear orderly, too.

5. Discard unnecessary and unusable items. To sell your home fast, get rid of anything you do not need or want. This includes mounds of old clothes that no one wears anymore, stacks of newspapers destined for the recycling center, and miscellaneous parts for six different bicycles that are not used by anyone. Be creative, and chances are you will find plenty of things that are no longer needed, such as old books, videos, knick-knacks, broken furniture, and chipped dishes. If you do not have time to search every nook and cranny, look for the most obvious items to give away.

6. Pay attention to entryways. First impressions are important, so be sure your doorways, stairwells, and porches look their best. Touch up the chipped paint, wash door window curtains, sweep the porch, and add a wreath to the door if you want to sell your home fast. You might want to add a potted plant, real or artificial, to dress up a foyer, stair landing, etc.

7. Catch up on lawn work. Curb appeal is king, so give your house a drive-by inspection to make sure it will help to sell your house. It probably goes without saying that you should cut the lawn, pull the weeds, and trim the shrubs. You also should spruce up the driveway, tidy up the shed and garage, and remove bees’ or hornets’ nests near the house. Put the kids’ toys away, plant grass seed in bare spots, and even out tree branches, if time permits.

8. Add light decorating touches. While you do not need to redecorate the entire house, it does help to sell your home fast if you add nice accents here and there without overdoing it. A lace doily, basket of wildflowers, or new throw pillows for the sofa can brighten a room for minimal cost and effort. A room deodorizer, fresh dresser scarf, or wind chime might make the difference in setting your home apart from others the shoppers will visit.

9. Organize relevant paperwork. If your realtor hasn’t already asked for these items, get them ready to show visitors if they ask: utility bills, major repairs, maintenance costs, appliance purchases, home insurance records, and any other records that show how the home and property were maintained or improved. Any defects or hazards should be noted as well, including faulty wiring, improperly functioning fireplace, gas leak (minor, of course), broken appliances (if these are to remain in the house), and disputes with neighbors over property lines, overhanging tree boughs, shared driveway, etc.

10. Be flexible about inconvenient showing times. One of the most important tips for selling your home is to be flexible about accepting last-minute requests for a showing. It may be tempting to say no, but this could be the buyer you have been waiting for. Try to keep the house fairly neat at all times so that all you will have to do in the event of a surprise showing is tidy up briefly and get out of the way.

To sell your house to the most qualified buyer in the event you get more than one offer at the same time, ask your realtor to give you a realistic assessment of each buyer’s credit standing and seriousness about your property. The realtor should have information that will help to clarify which buyer can offer the best deal and the likelihood it will go through. You will want to consider the entire package offer, including issues such as points to be paid, down payment, decorating allowance, etc., before deciding which offer to accept.

If you want to sell your home fast due to job relocation, you may have to accept less than what you feel the house can fetch on the market, in the interest of a speedy deal. But if you have time to wait for the best possible offer, make good use of it by making your property as good as it can be. That way, if you decide to stay put and not sell, you will love your home even more than you did before. And if you decide to sell later, your property should still be in reasonably good shape (if you take care of it) and command a fair market price to reward your ownership and patience. For these reasons, make a worthwhile effort to apply these tips for selling your home.

Are You A Pack Rat?

Collecting things can be a harmless habit, but compulsive hoarding is a serious disorder. Take this pack rat quiz to find out if you're more than a casual collector and may need help with your hoarding habits.